The Ghost of Kodaikanal

Ghost!

Does the word sound familiar to you?

Every other object which is not familiar to you, especially in the dark, appears to be a ghost, right?

I hope you and I are in agreement.

If not, that is fine. Differences are good.

A journey into the hills

In this piece of writing, I am going to share my travel experience of Kodaikanal.

The Haunted Side of Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal has its share of stories about haunted places, mysterious houses and unusual experiences. I had heard some of these stories before my trip, but what stayed with me was my own experience of spending a night in a hillside cottage.

This is not a claim that the place was haunted. It is simply a strange experience that I still remember.

The place does not need much of an introduction, but it is worth mentioning that Kodaikanal is a beautiful hill station in the Palani Hills, situated on the western side of the Western Ghats.

Once again, we are talking about a tropical zone.

And if it is tropical, you can expect plenty of rain.

I was preparing for a government examination at the time. The syllabus and examination pattern were tedious, and once the exam was finally over, I called my friends and planned for a short trip somewhere near Bangalore.

The destination was Kodaikanal.

Sorry Ooty. We had to ditch you this time. We were not bored of you, but we were looking for something new and a little more exotic.

October 2020

I am talking about October 2020, when the whole world was still fighting COVID 19 and India had only recently started coming out of lockdown restrictions.

Our first preference was Munnar, but we were not allowed to enter the state at that time.

Fortunately, the road to Kodaikanal was open. We needed the required travel documents and a COVID 19 entry pass, and eventually we made our way into Kodaikanal.

Once again, it was an unplanned journey.

We had started from Bangalore and, after driving through the night and into the morning, finally reached Kodaikanal.

But there was a problem.

We could not find a decent and comfortable place to stay. Online bookings were not getting confirmed, hotels were not answering our calls, and the weather was getting worse.

We wanted a cottage where we could enjoy a bonfire, chilly weather and a cup of tea.

Instead, we were simply looking for shelter.

Our first stop

We reached Sterling Kodai Lake, a more sophisticated hotel than what we usually looked for on our trips.

Most of the rooms were already booked.

Jokes apart, we somehow managed to get a room. It was a little small, but good enough to accommodate us.

The hotel was situated near Kodai Lake, and the location was beautiful.

Day 1 was coming to an end, but we were still looking for the kind of place that would satisfy our thirst for an expedition.

We wanted a cottage where we could stay freely, away from the usual hotel environment.

Finding the hillside cottage

After spending some time searching online, we found a cottage called Ruban Guest House in Vattakanal.

Vattakanal is known for its beautiful hills, forests and relaxed atmosphere.

The cottage looked promising. It was an independent one bedroom apartment surrounded by lush green trees, with an amazing view of the valley from the balcony and windows.

We had to trek a little, perhaps around 80 metres, to reach the cottage because it was built on the hillside.

Finally, we had found exactly what we were looking for.

Did we feel happy?

Absolutely.

We were finally ready for our expedition.

But Day 2 was already over.

Dolphin Nose

On the morning of Day 3, we decided to visit Dolphin Nose, about 2 kilometres from Vattakanal village.

It is a moderate trek, unless you happen to weigh around 95 kilograms.

We started walking and stopped several times along the way to enjoy the weather.

We ate some fruit, especially star fruit, which tasted particularly good after walking for some time.

It was drizzling, the weather was pleasant, and the crowd was equally relaxed.

We saw young couples, children and other travellers enjoying the trail.

And yes, I was still young too.

Eventually, we reached Dolphin Nose.

It may look attractive and relatively easy, but it is also dangerous. One careless step can put you very close to the edge of the valley.

If you go trekking, proper footwear matters.

We finished the trek, but I was completely exhausted.

Remember the 95 kilograms?

Yes, that was my weight.

The cottage, the rain and the cold

I was tired and dizzy at the same time.

We stopped at Altaf Cafe, a small place serving continental food, had some snacks and then returned to the cottage.

We wanted to take a nap, but somehow sleep was not happening.

We called Ruban, the cottage owner, and asked him to arrange some firewood.

It was cold, and we wanted to enjoy the warmth of a fire.

It was also raining, with short intervals of clear weather.

We could hear the cold breeze and the sound of water droplets falling from the leaves of the trees.

We managed to get the fire going in the hall, and Avijit, Ramji and I sat there for some time.

Unlike girls, we boys do not always have a lot to talk about. So naturally, we talked about girls and what they talk about.

Jokes apart, we had spent a lot of time together, so we started reminiscing about our journeys, memorable moments and the trips we had taken together.

The room at the end of the cottage

Avijit and Ramji wanted to stay in the hall because it was warm.

As usual, I sacrificed.

I am apparently good at it.

I headed towards the bedroom.

The room was empty. There were two beds, one on either side, and the room was freezing cold.

Before going to bed, I decided to step outside for a while.

I was already feeling dizzy, it was raining and I was not completely in my senses.

I went outside and came back after a few minutes.

I tried to sleep.

But the bedroom was freezing cold and damp, almost as if nobody had used the room for years.

The room was clean, but somehow it still felt as though it had been abandoned for a long time.

Perhaps the long period of lockdown had something to do with it.

The cottage was surrounded by trees, and there was a hill directly behind it.

Ramji and Avijit had already fallen asleep.

I was still awake.

The cold breeze continued.

Water droplets kept falling from the trees.

Frogs and insects were making their usual sounds after the rain.

Have you ever heard the sound of frogs and insects after heavy rain?

If you have, you know exactly what I mean.

Three in the morning

After some time, the atmosphere became completely dark.

The sky was cloudy and there was almost no visibility outside.

It was scary.

I consider myself a strong person, but even a strong man can get scared.

I rolled myself inside the blanket and somehow managed to sleep.

Then, at exactly 3 o’clock, I suddenly opened my eyes.

It felt as if someone had pushed me awake.

There was a strange feeling that someone was asking me to get up and leave the room.

There was nobody there.

I was frightened, but I tried to convince myself that it was simply a bad dream.

I tried to sleep again.

But the same feeling returned.

I heard what felt like the same warning again, as if someone was urging me to leave the room immediately.

At that point, I did not want to take any chances.

I gathered whatever courage I had, wrapped myself in the blanket and quickly walked out of the room.

As soon as I came out, Avijit also woke up.

He asked whether everything was fine.

Somehow, it felt as though he had sensed that something was wrong, although he did not say much.

The dream

Earlier, when I had tried to ignore the strange feeling and go back to sleep, I had a horrible dream.

In the dream, Ramji was sleeping on the floor and his bedsheet had caught fire. He was unconscious and unable to respond.

It felt like a warning.

Whether it was simply a dream created by my tired and frightened mind, or something else, I cannot say.

But by then, I was completely awake.

I had slept for perhaps two or three hours in total.

In the morning, I told Avijit that we should leave the cottage.

Something did not feel normal.

Was it paranormal?

I am a spiritual person.

I also understand that science does not accept ghosts as an established fact and that many experiences described as paranormal can have other explanations.

At the same time, stories about spirits and supernatural experiences appear in cultures, religions and communities across the world.

I cannot prove what happened that night.

Perhaps it was my mind reacting to exhaustion, cold, darkness, unfamiliar surroundings and the atmosphere of an almost empty cottage during the pandemic.

Perhaps there was something else.

I simply do not know.

And perhaps that uncertainty is what makes the memory interesting.

The logic was simple

By now, I was worried about the wellbeing of my friends.

We left the cottage in the afternoon and started our journey back to Bangalore.

My reasoning was simple.

I own a house. If an unknown person stayed inside my house without my permission, I would ask that person to leave.

I felt something similar had happened to us.

We were staying in an isolated hillside cottage during the rainy season, surrounded by a tropical forest.

Perhaps we had simply crossed a boundary that we did not understand.

The good thing is that whatever it was, it did not harm us.

And for that, I am grateful.

An old saying

There is an old saying that an empty house can attract unwanted occupants.

Khaali Chhodo Na Makan, Aaseb Rahne Lagte Hain Wahan.

खाली छोड़ो ना मकान, आसेब रहने लगते हैं वहां।

The meaning is simple: do not leave a house completely empty, because a place without human activity can slowly become associated with strange stories and beliefs.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the idea itself is fascinating.

What I learned

The biggest lesson I took away from that experience was not about ghosts.

It was about respecting isolation, nature and our own instincts.

Do not disturb something simply because you are curious.

Respect your surroundings.

Listen to your inner voice.

Trust your instinct, while also keeping your mind open to other explanations.

Being spiritual does not mean spending every hour praying to God.

For me, spirituality is also about respecting the creatures and environment around us, exploring our own mind and understanding how little we actually know.

A night I will remember

With that, I will leave the story here.

It was my stay on a hillside, during the rainy season, surrounded by tropical forest, cold winds, strange sounds and one very unusual night.

Was it a ghost?

Was it my mind?

Was it simply the combination of darkness, exhaustion, weather and an unfamiliar place?

I still do not have the answer.

Some experiences are perhaps better left as mysteries.

See you on the next journey.

~ CoolSage